MOUNTAIN REST COMMUNITY CLUB, Oconee County, SC Comments by Residents Version 2.3, 1-Apr-2003, MR-10.TXT **************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Paul M Kankula - nn8nn Seneca, SC, USA Oconee County SC GenWeb Coordinator Oconee County SC GenWeb Homestead http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html Oconee County SC GenWeb Tombstone Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/cemeteries.html http://www.usgwtombstones.org/southcarolina/oconee.html **************************************************************** DATAFILE INPUT . : Linda Flynn at ke8fd@@bellsouth.net.com in Apr-2003 DATAFILE LAYOUT : Paul M. Kankula at kankula1@innova.net in Apr-2003 Comments by MARIE CRAIG (Columbia, SC) On this beautiful spring day of April 2, 1984, I wonder about my wildflowers I planted in our yard at Mountain Rest. I would love to see the dogwood blooms and all the new leaves growing from trees and bushes. We have enjoyed our new home here away from the mountains, but I get homesick for the woods and the waterfalls and the mountains. I think of my friends from the Community Club, from the quilting group, and from the Extension Homemakers. I remember how everybody waved to you from approaching cars and liked to take time to visit at the stores. It was nice to see the same people everytime you went somewhere, instead of new clerks or new customers everytime. It was easier to remember telephone numbers. You could even just start dialing "8" instead of "638" because everybody started the same. We have about 10 different beginnings here. I remember that my little boys loved playing in the woods and creeks, and learned to go rafting on the Chattooga. My husband enjoyed being ranger of the Forest Service district and was challenged by the management of river, timber, and recreation. I still have my tap shoes and have to clog when I hear some good music. Mountain Rest, we miss you; we need to plan a visit back up there soon. Comments by MRS. ROY L. WARD (Columbia, SC) Aside from the beauty of the hills and valleys of Mountain Rest, the people reach out to you in times of distress and grief. When you have this combination, living in the community of Mountain Rest is hard to beat. I enjoyed living there, and always look forward to going back for a visit with the friends I made. Comments by JULIUS R. EARLE, M.D. (Walhalla, SC) Mountain Rest has always been a special place for me and my family. My father worked at the CCC Camp SC 75 for several years while they were building what is now Oconee State Park. The roads, lake, bath house, and many of the cabins were built by the "C.C. Boys." The soapstone used on the floor of the bath house, and some in the support columns, was cut out of a deposit of soapstone just off the turnpike road, with a cross-cut saw. It was then brought to the site of construction and dressed and fitted into place. When I built my house in 1970, I got the soapstone for the firebox floor of the fireplaces from this same deposit, but I cut it out with a chain saw, rather than a cross-cut. The hardware for many of the cabins at the State Park was made in the blacksmith shop at the CCC Camp. This hardware--hinges, locks, and knobs--is still in good condition in these cabins. Mountain Rest has always been a favorite place to visit at anytime. The summer fishing was always good at the Lombard's ponds and at Mr. Jule Nicholson's place on the Chattooga River. The deer hunting was usually pretty good around the Burrell's Ford and the Sims fields. The coon hunting was good in the Kelly fields. There was always something to do at Mountain Rest. Once while night hunting with Jack Lombard, the dogs brought a skunk out of the ground and slung it across my lower legs. We killed the skunk, went home to bed and caught the school bus next morning. Guess who rode to school in the back of the bus. After I was marked present at school, the teachers and Mr. Stoudemire suggested that I might want to go home for the day and clean up and change clothes. I followed their suggestion. Many of the families at Mountain Rest have always been close friends with my family for years. Many of us went to school and worked with the Rameys Lombards, Fowlers, Vissages, Nicholsons, Browns, Robinses, and Henrys, to name just a few. In any community, the schools and churches have a great influence on the young people of the area. The Mountain Rest, Village Creek, Belmont, and Chattooga schools all served their areas extremely well. The Mountain Rest School was one of the last of the rural schools in Oconee County to be closed in 1964. It was in 1959 that the first Hillbilly Day was held to celebrate the 4th of July and display the talents of some of the natives, such as the fiddling of Relton Vissage, the square dance calling of Ray Queen, the buck dancing of Lil Gillespie, the political orations of Mountain "Bessie" Smith, the mastering of the ceremonies by Ben Vissage and the greased pole climbing by some of the younger and more energetic groups. As a result of the success of the first event, the Mountain Rest Hillbilly Day has grown into what it is today one of the feature attractions of the upstate South Carolina on July 4th every year. Comments by D LAND (Seneca, SC) I enjoy everything about the Mountain Rest Hillbilly Day on July 4th, but the thing I enjoy the most is seeing my friends from different sections of the country each year. My friend, C.G. Dalton from Salem, and I enjoy making a little mountain music. He picks the banjo and I rake on my old guitar. To show off a little bit more, I sometimes buck dance. Some years ago, my wife Bessie and I had a square dance at our place, Sycamore City in Seneca, almost every Saturday night. Friends from Mountain Rest would come down for these dances: the Queens, Jacksons, Fishers, Henrys, and the McCalls and Mathises from down Walhalla way. We would meet in our Long Horn Saloon and "all go native on Saturday nite." (That is, we would dance up a storm at these shindigs.) I have hunted with Jack Lombard, and we have helped one another with our shows in the past. I think that when the Hall of Fame is set up in Mountain Rest, Mountain Bessie Smith and Hillbilly Lil Gillespie should be way up the ladder. UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU: WALHALLA STATION Began operation in 1889. Seven observers in the first twenty years. H.W. Brandt served April 1916-June 1950. Henrietta C. Brandt, daughter of H.W. Brandt, served June 1, 1950-present (1984). Interesting weather facts from records since 1916 to the present: Hottest day, Sept. 7, 1925: 108 degrees. Coldest day, Jan. 26, 1940: -5.5 degrees. Wettest day. May 29, 1976: 6.93 inches. Wettest month, Nov. 1948: 17 inches. Wettest year, 1964: 82.16 inches. Driest month, Oct. 1938: a trace. Driest year, 1981: 39.67 inches. Most snow on ground at one time: Mar. 1-2, 1927: 14 inches. 1967 was a cool summer. Only nine days did it get to 90 degrees or above. The warmest day of the summer was May 28, with 93 degrees. One inch of water over one acre of ground weighs 113 tons and measures to 27,154 gallons.--[HCR] CLUB LIST OF LEGAL VOTERS AT BETHLEHEM PRECINCT FOR YEAR 1910 1. J.E. Orr, Sr., President 2. L.A. King, Secretary 3. J.E. Orr, Jr. 4. J.P. Orr 5. A.M. Brown (1864-1947) 6. J.H. Brown (1878-1922) 7. J.N. Ramey (1878-1964) 8. J.T. Ramey 9. A.J. Bynum 10. Geo. Bynum 11. W.G. Russell (1835-1921) 12. S.T. Russell 13. Ervin Russell (1887-1957) 14. L.O. Russell 15. A.B. Nicholson 16. Wm. Winchester 17. John Ridley 18. Will Snider 19. Elisha Snider 20. Thomas Snider 21. Wm. Henry Nicholson 22. Jim Reed 23. W.J. Keown 24. Jno. Keown 25. R.A. Keown 26. John Bottoms 27. Thomas Bottoms 28. N.F. Keown 29. J.M. Green 30. W.C. Barker 31. N.F. Orr 32. Wm. Johnson 33. J.L. Fretwell 34. J.H. Knight 35. Jesse Bynum 36. John Bynum 37. V.F. Holden (1864-1935) 38. A.J. Billingsley (1843-1917) 39. W.D. Pell, Manager (1887-1966) 40. Warren Orr 41. J.P. McCall (1847-1931) 42. Chas. McCall (1883-1924) 43. Jim Ridley 44. John C. Powell 45. Will J. McCall 46. Geo. Miller 47. Lee Reed 48. Virgil H. Ramey (1886-1956) 49. Claude Hooper 50. Waddie Elliott 51. Ira Nicholson 52. Elbert Bottoms 53. B.R. Moss -[CH and BQ]